The Archangel
by Lady Annora
Summary: What happened to Garrus after Shepard died? Can he find the strength to move on? GarrusxFemShep pairing, spoilers for ME2 contained within. Rated M for mature content.
1. Reflections

Contains mild spoilers for ME2, and it's Garrus/FemShep-centric. Planning for this one to be pretty long. Read and review if you like.

I loved Mass Effect 2 so very much. Go buy it!

I don't own Mass Effect or its characters. BioWare is my religion.

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**Reflections**

Life certainly loved throwing him for a loop. The last 10 years of his life, he could just imagine it all being some big cosmic joke that he wasn't privvy to. The only thing he ever wanted was to make a difference, a real difference; to help those who could not help themselves.

As with all Turians, he was trained in the military at the age of 15. He was among the best of the raw recruits. Graceful, fast, and an incredible marksman. His commanding officer often told him he would go on to do great things. He worked hard, and was offered a position as a potential Spectre. It was one of the proudest moments of his life, and he was barely into adulthood.

He remembered rushing home with the news to his father, expecting him to be proud of his son, but instead he received a lecture on why it was a foolish thing to do. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely, Garrus," his father had said. "You'd be better off serving C-Sec, making a real difference within the confines of the law. Do things right, or don't do them at all." And so, Garrus had decided not to join the Spectres, and instead became a C-Sec officer like his father.

In hindsight, he realized most of his life's choices had been made to please his father, who was just impossible to please. Even as a C-Sec officer, he was never doing things the way his father wanted him to. Garrus was young, impatient, and rash, not the qualities a proper C-Sec officer should have. The Saren Arterius investigation was his big break, and he knew as soon as the file came across his desk that this would be the defining moment of his life.

Not only was Saren a Turian, but he was also the most respected and famous Spectre in Citadel space. If Garrus could bring him down, not only would his father be immensely proud, but he'd be doing something that really mattered. Saren was working with the Geth and attacking human colonies. Saren's stance on humanity as a whole was clear from the beginning, he was one of the most outspoken anti-human Turians.

Garrus never understood why so many seemed fearful, or even outright hostile, toward humanity, he'd seen nothing but immense willpower and the ability to get things done. Humans reminded him of a squishier version of Turians, and if the Relay 314 Incident had taught them anything, it was that humans were to be respected as a formidable ally. Not the kind of race you'd want as a foe.

Humanity as a whole rather fascinated him. He'd spent most of his downtime reading their brutal and bloody history, intrigued that among all this in-fighting they had somehow managed to come out of it united, and with some of the most beautiful works of art. Asari loved human music, and Garrus himself was rather fond of the era they called "Baroque." They were also genetically diverse, moreso than any other known species. For such a small planet, Earth housed several different sub-races of humans. This was a unique trait that also seen in Earth's animal population. And more than just genetic diversity, they also had many different languages. Turians had a few different dialects, but not on the scale that humans did. Earth was a galactic community unto itself, and it was so incredible.

Garrus admired the humans as much as he did his own species, and was always quick to befriend the humans who came to work for C-Sec; which is exactly why Executor Pallin had chosen Garrus to head the investigation of Saren. He was a Turian that was well-liked by his human peers, and it was a sound diplomatic move. It also helped that Garrus was a damn good cop.

Unfortunately, the Council stonewalled him at every turn. Everything Saren was connected to was classified, and the man himself was impossible to find. Garrus was overcome with frustration, and argued vehemently with Executor Pallin, and this was the first time he saw her.

Three human marines approached the two arguing Turians, and Executor Pallin excused himself. Garrus took a moment to size them up. A man and woman stood behind another woman, who he correctly assumed to be Commander Annabel Shepard. He had, of course, read everything he could on the young marine beforehand, and it was hard to go two steps among humans without hearing her name, or rumours of her deeds.

She stood a full head shorter than he, with brilliant red hair like a sunset on Palaven. Her eyes were the same shade of green as the fields that covered the Presidium, and she had skin so pale it was almost translucent. She looked fragile, but in this case the looks were most definitely deceiving. She had survived the raid on Mindoir by Batarian slavers when her entire family had perished, and instead of losing herself in red sand or alcohol as so many others do, she instead joined the Systems Alliance and rose through the ranks with astonishing speed. It seemed she was forever destined to be at odds with the Batarians, though, as she held off the Skyllian Blitz single-handedly. She was a hero, and a living legend among her people, even a few high-ranking Turians voiced their respect of her. She was a testament to her species' ability to adapt and overcome.

"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren."

Shepard crossed her arms as she gave him the same look he had given her, she was sizing him up. "Sounds like you really want to bring him down."

"I don't trust him," he held her gaze for a moment before continuing. "Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a Spectre, everything he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence."

The man behind Shepard interrupted their little exchange. "I think the council's ready for us, Commander."

"Looks like you're right, Lieutenant. I suppose we shouldn't keep them waiting. It was nice meeting you, Officer Vakarian." She smiled as she said this, and Garrus felt his mandibles twitch with surprise. She was a pleasant person, far moreso than any of the other Alliance marines or human politicians he'd met.

"And you, Shepard. Good luck, maybe they'll listen to you." He watched her leave to meet with council, and shook his head. She'd get stonewalled the same way he did, regardless of how personable she was.

Garrus smiled at the memory, not an ounce of prejudice in her even at the beginning. She'd always treated him as her equal and nothing else, which is why he admired her so much. Eventually they had found the evidence needed to convince the Council of Saren's actions, and Commander Shepard was named the first human Spectre. He'd jumped at the chance to join her crew aboard the Normandy, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. He could do something that _really_ matter for once.

He quickly became enamoured with her battle prowess, and she was an incredibly powerful biotic, something the extranet had failed to mention. He treasured the time that she spent in the cargo hold with him, talking about their pasts and the mission at hand. He'd opened up more to her than any other person before, and was rewarded with rare glimpses of who she was beneath her diplomatic marine shell. While most people only saw her cool logic and level-headed diplomacy, he knew she was also witty, charming, and prone to angry outbursts. He'd once seen her punch a reporter right in the mouth, a memory he still cherished.

She brought him along on all of her missions, and he'd watched with envy as her and Kaidan Alenko became close. They were so taken with each other, he imagined it had something to do with the fact that they were both biotics. He'd always wanted something like that, what the two of them had, but he'd never had the time for it. Kaidan never fully trusted Garrus, but they'd gotten along well enough. He'd heard a bit about Kaidan's tumultuous past with a certain Turian, and couldn't begrudge him his mistrust.

The mission had been hard, and they'd lost Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams on Virmire, but they were ultimately successful. Humanity had come through for the galaxy, the Council was saved, Sovereign defeated, and all was well... Sort of. The Council denied all existence of the Reapers, claiming that Saren and the Geth were the only ones involved, and then sent the Normandy and her crew into the Terminus Systems to flush out and eradicate the Geth. Not a single person onboard was happy with it, the Reapers were out there and a threat to all organic life. The Council was blind, and their blindness would have catastrophic consequences.

Like right now. Garrus stood completely still in Councilman Anderson's office as the haggard former marine relayed the worst news possible.

"The Normandy was destroyed, twenty servicemen are unaccounted for, but the majority of the crew made it out safely," Anderson rubbed his forehead with one hand, heaving a sigh.

"Did-" Garrus' breath hitched in his throat, and he cleared his throat, trying to find the courage to ask. He didn't want to know, but he had to. "Did Shepard make it out?"

Anderson kept his head down, wondering how best to answer the young Spectre. He knew the Turian looked up to Shepard, he was training to become a Spectre because of her, and he knew that whatever he said now was going to break his heart. _Best go for the truth, then_, he decided. "I'm sorry, Vakarian. Commander Shepard gave her life to ensure her crew made it out alive. She's a damned hero in my books, but the Council would like to keep her death on a strictly need to know basis."

Garrus looked at the human Councilor, completely silent. His mouth dropped open, his mandibles shook slightly, and he closed his eyes.

"Look, I know you were close with her. She considered you her right-hand man, and you impressed the hell out of not only her, but the entire Alliance military. I have the utmost respect for you and everyone else who took part in bringing Saren down, so if there's anything, anything at all, that I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask." Anderson came around his desk and laid a supportive hand on Garrus' shoulder. "The galaxy has lost something irreplacable."

Garrus finally opened his eyes to give what he hoped was a look of thanks to the older man. He was Shepard's mentor, he knew the councilor had to be hurting just as much. Shepard was gone, the most important person in his life, the closest friend he'd ever had. She was gone. He took a deep, shaky breath. _Green eyes twinkled with humour as she offered Garrus a hand out of the puddle, "Only a Turian could make falling on his ass seem graceful."_

He backed away from the councilor, one step. _Red hair bounced across the cargo hold toward him, and he couldn't help but smile as she joined him for another late-night discussion. He secretly loved these sessions with her._ Two steps. _The way her face lit up when she caught him listening to Vivaldi caught him by surprise. He could only watch with bewilderment as she began to hum and play an air violin._ He turned and fled from the office. He couldn't be here, he couldn't be around this place right now. He found an empty closet and shut the door, somewhere quiet to grieve in peace. He sagged against the wall and let out a cry of pure anguish. It rumbled through his entire body, leaving him raggedly gasping for breath as he collapsed in a quiet heap on the floor. He'd allow himself this one time to wallow in his feelings.

What was he supposed to do now? Where was he supposed to go? He'd had this grand vision of him becoming a Spectre and working with Shepard for the rest of their days, flying across the galaxy and righting wrongs together, but now... His home was taken from him. He could continue his training, but would he be able to endure it? No, probably not. Too many ghosts. You can never go back, things are never the same. He rested his head on the cold floor and closed his eyes. Just this once...


	2. Confession

Here's the next chapter. Kind of short, but you'll just have to deal with that. :)

Obligatory disclaimer: I own nothing contained within.

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**Confession**

Only six months had passed, but the Citadel's restoration was moving right along, many wards were already near completion, and you could hardly tell anything had even happened on the Presidium. Lush fields, crystal clear lakes, soft artificial sunlight... It seemed an odd place to hold a memorial service. Thousands of mourners had gathered to pay their respects to the first human Spectre and the crew of the Normandy who lost their lives in what was being branded as a Geth attack. They'd been reluctant to announce her death, it had been downplayed in the media until now. Nothing ever stays secret very long, he supposed that gave him a small measure of satisfaction.

"And so it is with heavy hearts that we say farewell to Commander Annabel Shepard, the first human Spectre and saviour of the Citadel. Her valiant fight against the traitor Saren and his Geth armies will be forever remembered in the annals of galactic history. We salute you, Commander Shepard. May you find peace in the afterlife." The Asari councilor raised her arms as she said the last, and dropped her head in a display of reverence, the crowd did the same. Garrus folded his arms and snorted, Geth armies indeed. His father shot him a look that was part surprise, part anger, and all disgust.

"I would think you'd have more respect for your beloved human Spectre, Garrus," Marniss Vakarian said quietly, his eyes boring into Garrus' own.

"There are few people in this galaxy that share the same amount of respect for the commander that I do. It's just this whole display, it's nothing but a political song and dance for the public. They've already denounced her reports of the Reapers as delusional. It's they who dishonour her memory, not I." His mandibles quivered with silent rage. The media had torn apart Shepard's accomplishments, and the Council had turned a deaf ear to her warnings of imminent danger. It was a disservice to every man, woman, and child who had lost their lives during Sovereign's quest to harvest all organic life.

"There you go again with your talk of Reapers. Can you not just trust in the wisdom of the Council?" The older Turian asked with an air of annoyance.

Garrus shot his father an unreadable look, and motioned for him to follow him away from the spectacle. He couldn't stand the insincerity of it all. The best way for them to honour her memory would be to acknowledge the Reaper threat and prepare for it. Instead, they chose to return to 'business as usual' and it made him bitter to the core. When they were finally away from the sound of the memorial service, Garrus sat down on the grass and surveyed the lake, his father joined him silently. A few minutes passed like this, and then finally Garrus began to speak.

"I want you to know that I appreciate you coming here to pay your respects, father. I know you have no love for humanity, and I'm not asking you to trust in the word of a human, or even worse, a Spectre. You _really_ hate Spectres. But can you just, for once, listen to me and trust that what I say is the truth? Have I not earned a little trust from you by now?" His eyes slid slowly over to Marniss, who was stock still.

"Where are you going with this?" his father finally asked.

"I've listened to you implicitly my entire life. I gave up my chance at being a Spectre early on on your word, and I've lived my life within the rules and boundaries you set forth. I won't say I regret it, because without it I wouldn't be who I am today; I wouldn't know the things I do." Garrus took a deep breath, returning his gaze to the lake, and continued. "I was there. I was with Commander Shepard when we consulted with Sovereign itself. I was there when we encountered the Prothean VI on Ilos. I was there at Saren's last ditch effort to defy the Reapers' indoctrination. The things she..." he faltered for a moment, but recovered quickly. "What she went through to save us, what we all did to give us a fighting chance. To see it all brushed off as delusions and lies is a betrayal of the highest order. I feel like everything I've been brought up to believe in has turned out to be a lie."

"Garrus-" Marniss fumbled awkwardly for something to say, at a loss for words for the first time in his life.

"I came here to tell you that I won't be joining the Spectres, I can't deal with the bureaucracies anymore." He held up a hand to stop his father from speaking. "There is real injustice in this galaxy, and I intend to fight it my way. That is how I can carry on Shepard's legacy. This might be the last time we ever see each other, so I just wanted to say thank you for doing the best you could to raise me, and I'm sorry I could never live up to your expectations. Hopefully one day, you'll be proud of me. Take care of yourself, dad." With that, he got up and left his father sitting in the grass, he didn't look back.


	3. Old Wounds

New chapter, meet my female Turian! Hah. Currently in the process of drawing her. Anyway, enjoy. Don't worry, no contrived romance here.

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**Old Wounds**

Gloved talons gripped the glass gingerly, swirling the bright purple drink within. Afterlife was packed tonight, bodies pressed against each other and he could smell the sweat from several different species. Some of his crew were getting private dances from the Asari working here, and he knew they needed to blow off some steam. They'd arrived on Omega only a few weeks earlier, and Garrus felt sure that his was a team Shepard would be proud of.

He'd spent the last year and a half gathering them from all corners of the galaxy. Disgruntled C-Sec officers, ex-military, mercs looking for atonement, and people who were just fed up with the way the galaxy was. They'd all found their way to him, and their work on Omega was of the utmost importance. Everywhere he looked, bad people were terrorizing those weaker than them. It disgusted him.

One of his crew flopped into the seat next to him, and raised her glass. "To the boss for never knowing how to have a good time." She laughed and slammed the drink back, setting the empty glass on the table. "Come on, man, we're in a club and all you can do is sit over here looking serious."

"I'm keeping an eye on all of you." It was a short answer, but the best one he could give.

"No one said you had to be the chaperone." Her mandibles twitched thoughtfully as she observed the club from Garrus' vantage point. "Good view of everything, just like a sniper."

Garrus watched her quietly. She was the only female on the team, and a former Blue Sun merc. It was rare to see female turians working as mercenaries, but what surprised him even more was her biotics. Turians had biotics, but very few of them. She surprised him on a constant basis after that. She was strong, confident, loyal, and impatient. He hated to draw parallels to Shepard, but Shana was so similar. She even had green eyes, but they weren't the same shade as hers...

"Ugh, there's that look again," Shana's annoyed tone brought him back to the present. "You always do that."

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"Look like a sad lost little varren when you look at me. Like someone just killed your pack leader. Why is that?" Shana leaned forward, the red lighting in the club highlighting the white clan markings on her face.

"You remind me of someone, that's all." He cleared his throat and stood up. "Go round up the men, it's time to call it a night."

"Aye aye, boss." Shana narrowed her eyes at him briefly before turning on her heel and stalking toward Sidonis. Garrus watched her leave. She was right, he did need to blow off some steam, he was wound tighter than a volus diplomat. He'd figure something out.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, boss?" Shana walked toward Garrus' desk.

"I did," he nodded and shut the door. "I feel like I owe you an explanation after you so thoroughly outed me." He motioned for her to take a seat, and took a moment to collect his thoughts. "You know that I used to be C-Sec."

"Yeah, you told us that." She settled into the seat and waited for him to continue.

"What I didn't tell you is that I left C-Sec long before this whole-" he waved his hand helplessly, looking for a word.

"Thing," Shana offered.

"Right. This whole thing." He rolled his eyes at her, and she cocked her head playfully. "I was on the Normandy."

"Whoa whoa, wait a second. The _Normandy_? You brought down Saren Arterius?" She gaped unbelievably at him.

"That we did. I served under Commander Shepard."

"There's that look again." Shana's mandibles flared as realization hit her. "Commander Shepard was killed 2 years ago. That's why... Oh, I'm so sorry. You actually did lose your pack leader."

"No no, it's alright. I've come to terms with it." He raked a nervous hand down the back of his neck, unsure of how to proceed. "I've seen things that would make your blood run cold. I don't mean to be so severe, but I find myself unable to just relax these days." He looked away from Shana, trying to find something to focus on. It was hard to talk about Shepard, even after all this time. "I thought you should know my reasons, anyway."

Shana looked at him thoughtfully for a few minutes. A lot of things were suddenly starting to make sense about their fearless leader. She hadn't seen anyone so skilled with a sniper rifle since her brother, and he issued orders like no C-Sec officer she'd ever seen. "If we're going to be in the sharing kind of mood tonight, then I'm going to have to say thank you."

"I'm not sure what you mean, there," Garrus looked absolutely lost.

"You killed Saren," she looked down at her hands, he rust coloured scales glistening in the harsh glare of the office lighting. "He killed my big brother."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Was your brother on the Citadel during the attack?" Garrus felt a twinge of regret for prying, but was honestly curious. Shana didn't talk about her past. Ever.

"No," she looked up at him, her eyes full of anger and sorrow. "My brother was a Spectre. He was on Eden Prime."

It took Garrus a moment to piece the facts together, he remembered the reports he read during the investigation, and Annabel's first-hand account of the events. "Then that means your brother was... Nihlus Kryik." Only now did he realize how similar she looked to her brother, same markings, same skin colour, same crafty mind. "How does a Spectre's sister end up working for the Blue Suns?"

"I was good with a gun, could shatter a krogan with one biotic punch, and knew better than to throw my life away as a Council lapdog," the way she spat the word 'Council' out made Garrus wince. "Nihlus didn't always play by the rules, but he was exactly what they wanted him to be all the damn time, and what did it get him? A shot in the back of the head by his supposed mentor. Where's the fucking justice in that?" She shook her head in disgust, partly for Nihlus, partly for herself, and mostly for the Council.

"I don't know what to say," Garrus shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"They treated him like shit, he was an outsider, so he worked three times as hard as anyone else and earned their respect. He played nice with the Council, he did their dirty work, and what did the Council do about my brother's death? Not a fucking thing! They sat with their thumbs up their asses while Saren set about exterminating all life. They even protected him!" She shook with rage, her chest heaving with rapid breaths. "You can see why I struck out on my own. It horrified my mother, but I wasn't going to let the Council kill me the same way they killed Nihlus. Not a fucking chance. The Blue Suns were the first ones to show an interest in me, and the pay was good enough," she finished with a shrug.

"Well, at least we have similar views on the Council," he chuckled nervously, unsure of how to proceed from here. It was the first time they'd talked about something that wasn't related to the mission, and he was ill-prepared for the emotional outburst she just displayed.

"Look, boss, I'm glad we talked and it's nice to share this shit with someone, but keep it hush-hush, will you? I don't want pity from any of the team. Let them keep assuming that I'm just an ex-merc, and I'll keep your past quiet, too." She stood, stretching her long limbs gracefully and moving toward the door. "I'd like to talk again later, if that's okay with you. I'd love to hear about Commander Shepard from someone who actually knew her. Good night, boss." The door slid shut and Garrus was left in silence.

He stared at his private terminal, deep in thought. Even if it was in an obscure way, she was also connected to Shepard, and he felt less alone in the world. The Normandy crew had dispersed shortly after the ship's destruction. Shepard was their sun, and while she was alive, they couldn't help but orbit around her. As soon as that brilliant presence was gone, they no longer had a reason to stay together. He had no one to share his loss with, so he buried his feelings deep and put his duty first. The mission was paramount, no matter the cost to himself. She'd taught him that.

Now he had someone he could share his past with, and that gave him hope for the future. For the first time in two years, a lump didn't rise in his throat when he thought of Shepard. That was a good sign.


	4. Gifts

How did Garrus get his armor? Now we know! Or at least, that's how it played out in my head. My head is canon. Yeah.

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**Gifts**

Eclipse mercenaries were well-funded, used the best technology available, and excelled in brutality. They were also Garrus' next target, or rather, one of their top lieutenants was. They were smuggling all sorts of illicit substances, but it was the tainted element zero shipments that bothered him the most. They weren't just affecting people on the fringes of Citadel space, they were also hitting colonies inside as well. He needed to stop them.

He had his team set up at strategic points around the warehouse, each armed with a sniper rifle. They had every possible angle covered, this was going to be a bloodbath. Part of him loved the wholesale slaughter his crew unleashed on the mercs, another part of him was terrified that he could find any of this enjoyable, while the rest of him understood that it was a necessary evil. He wasn't sure which thought was more disturbing.

"I have one of them in my sights," Shana's hushed voice crackled through the communicator.

Sure enough, the warehouse doors were opening and the mercs were starting to enter. He brought his scope up to his eye, making a quick sweep of each mercenary before settling on the salarian lieutenant. "Target acquired," he said quietly, and his team echoed him shortly afterward. It was now or never. He gave the order, "Fire."

The Eclipse bodies dropped in near unison, and the salarian spun around with a look of pure terror and something else; defeat? Acceptance? No matter, Garrus didn't have time to contemplate these things as he squeezed the trigger. He joined the bodies on the floor as Garrus' round pierced his skull, green blood spraying the containers behind him. "Quick and clean, good job." He moved from cover and headed toward the containers near the bodies, it was time to destroy their shipment.

He slung his rifle on his back and grabbed the pistol from his side, his heavily armored foot turning one of the bodies over. Human female, shot through the heart, no sign of life. He moved on, picking through the bodies and checking each of them. After the debacle with Saren, one could never be too sure. Asari, humans, and the one salarian. He counted ten bodies. How many had entered? "Shit," he cursed, and turned to run for cover when a biotic lift caught him. One of the asari had managed to take cover.

"I'm taking you down with me, Archangel!" the asari screamed at him.

"Boss!" he heard Shana cry out, and he tried to twist his body to get a shot at the damned mercenary. He hated biotics.

"I can't get a lock on her, take her down!" he shouted, flailing helplessly in the mass effect field. The wind was knocked out of him as another blast of biotic energy threw him against the opposite wall with bone-crushing force. He heard 4 shots, and one shotgun blast before landing on the floor in a tangled heap. His Batarian tech expert, Grath, had one boot on the asari's chest and a shotgun aimed at her head. She turned her face to him, defiant to the end, while he pulled the trigger one last time.

Sidonis was the first to Garrus' side, offering his a hand to help him to his feet, which he accepted. "You okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"Aside from feeling like a ragdoll, definitely." The two turians laughed, and Sidonis clapped him on the back.

"You should be more cautious, next time," Grath said in his monotonous voice, all four black eyes locked on Garrus. Garrus nodded his thanks to the taciturn tech who dipped his head in return. Grath didn't talk much, and when he did, it was short and to the point. Garrus liked that.

"Get rid of this shipment, and we'll move the bodies out of the way," he ordered, stretching his body to make sure he wasn't injured. Garrus' eyes caught Shana's for an instant before she turned away to lug a dead human off to a corner. She looked unhappy, her mandibles twitching stiffly. He was at a loss as to why she'd be upset with him, their operation had been a success.

"Augh, there are bits of asari all over the damn floor here," Sidonis groaned, skirting around the giant pool of purple blood.

"Shouldn't be here if you can't handle gore," Grath growled.

"I can handle gore, but when all that's left of her head is tiny bits... that's just too much, man," Sidonis grumbled, gingerly poking what was left of the asari with his rifle.

"Less complaining, more cleaning," Garrus chuckled as he hefted the salarian's remains over his shoulder. He was going to leave this one somewhere visible to serve as a message to all the merc companies on Omega. Greed and corruption wouldn't be tolerated anymore, and the sooner the criminals understood this, the better. It wasn't going to happen overnight, but since they'd arrived here, they were already making a visible dent in the senseless brutality of Omega's underworld. The criminals were nervous, and that pleased him. If they kept it up, Omega might become a safer place for all to live. Some day. Maybe. He could dream.

* * *

The knock on his door roused him from his restless sleep, and he sat up in bed. "Come in," he mumbled, reaching for his scouter. His hand froze as Shana entered his room, she had little more than a thin wrap around herself, and she carried a suit of armor with her.

"Hey, boss," she greeted him, waving one of her taloned hands. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Oh, uh, no," he shifted uncomfortably in bed, painfully aware of how naked he was. "What can I do for you?" He pulled the sheet up a little higher in what he hoped was a nonchalant fashion.

"I come bearing gifts," she announced happily. "Well, I guess more like one gift, but whatever." She set the armor on the bed beside Garrus and took a step back, clasping her hands nervously.

"You bought me new armor?" He touched the breastplate gingerly. It looked to be heavy armor, and was a pleasing shade of blue. "This must have cost you a fortune, Shana." She made a non-committal noise in response, and he turned the different pieces over in his hands. On the right arm was a golden symbol. "What's this?" he asked as his talons traced over it.

"It's, ah..." Shana shuffled from foot to foot, and scratched the back of her head. "It's an angel." If turians could blush, she'd have been beet red. "Cause, y'know, you're Archangel to the locals here. I thought it'd be fitting."

Garrus wasn't sure what to say, he opened his mouth and closed it a few times. The last person to buy him anything was Annabel, and it was the sniper rifle he still used. "Shana, I'm not sure how to thank you. This is-" he fumbled for a word that could convey what he felt accurately.

"Spectacular?" Shana's emerald eyes met his own smoky ones.

"Unbelievable, amazing, wonderful, thoughtful, and a whole bunch of other adjectives," he took a deep breath as he set the armor aside. "Thank you, truly."

"It was nothing, really," she shrugged her shoulders and playfully socked him in the arm. Garrus caught her hand with his and, bringing it to the side of his face, he nuzzled it gently. He wasn't entirely sure why he was doing it, but it felt right.

Shana moved closer to him and he pulled her on to the bed with him, his fingers lightly running down her neck, then into her robe. She shuddered with anticipation and closed her eyes, arching her back to bring her body closer to his. She wanted this, she wanted him. He'd found her as a bitter disillusioned mercenary, and he'd given her a purpose. A reason to fight. A reason to go on. No, she didn't just want him, she needed him. Closing her eyes and letting her head fall back, she purred with ecstasy as his careful talons slid down her soft belly.

Garrus took a moment to admire her. Her tightly muscled body was covered with glittering scales that shone like copper when the light hit them, and her frame seemed petite next to his own body. She whispered for him not to stop, and he continued to explore her body with gentle hands. How long had it been since he was with a woman? He couldn't remember, it had been years. He didn't want to ruin this, she was... special to him. He'd felt like less than half a turian for two years, but not anymore, all thanks to Shana. She had brought him back to himself, and now he was going to show her just how thankful he was.


	5. Kaboom

**Kaboom**

One talon clicked impatiently on his desk as he sifted through intel. The mercs were being careful now, far more careful than he'd ever have thought possible. He hated it when criminals used their heads for something other than target practice, it made planning operations trickier. As a rule, turians hate going into dangerous situations, and Garrus was no exception. If he could avoid unnecessarily putting his men at risk, he would, even if it meant an extra day of planning.

Sighing, he started opening his older files and skimming through for any information he might have bypassed before. Anything to give him an edge. A message halted his perusal, it was an old message, and one he'd nearly forgotten about.

_ To: Garrus_

_ From: Shepard_

_ How's my favourite turian Spectre-to-be? I haven't heard from you in a few weeks, and I wanted to make sure the council jackholes weren't giving you any issues. They aren't are they? Cause if they are, I'll come back and put a boot up each of their asses. I've already lent my name to yours, that should be more than enough for them to accept you._

_ How are things on the Citadel? Are the repairs coming along well? The Terminus Systems are relatively quiet. We've heard of some strange disappearances, but we haven't found anything concrete yet. It seems like we're chasing ghosts. We haven't seen any Geth activity in the past 6 days, I think we might have finally sent them back to whatever hole they came from. About damn time, if you ask me._

_ Everyone here sends their best, Pressly wants to remind you that you owe him a hundred credits for poker. Was it strip poker? Why wasn't I invited? Also, Kaidan wanted me to wish you luck in your training, we both hope you'll be back on the Normandy soon. Try not to fail, yeah? I'm just joking, I have all the faith in the world that you'll be a better Spectre than I ever will be. Soon _you'll_ be the one keeping _me_ in line!_

_ I can't wait to get back to the Citadel. You still owe me a drink, and I intend to collect that debt in full. Find us a club that doesn't suck in the meantime, will you? Asari dancers a welcome sight._

_ See you in a few weeks, take care of yourself and try not to shoot the bureaucratic assholes._

_ Demanding stiff liquor always,_

_ Annabel_

He felt an all too familiar pang in his chest. The last communication he'd ever had with her, and she'd sent it mere hours before meeting her untimely demise out there in the middle of no where. He'd spent the first while waiting for her to miraculously appear on his doorstep, same smirk on her face as the time she rose from Sovereign's wreckage. Days turned into weeks, and his hope dwindled. Eventually, he had accepted her death and buried his grief deep. He kept the anger, though, it served him well.

He patted the HMWSR X Sniper Rifle that lay on the desk beside him. It was top of the line Spectre gear, and it had cost Annabel a fortune. He was so taken aback by the gift, he had fumbled for words of thanks, but she just laughed and slapped him on the back. "I need you at your best," was all she'd said while flashing that same smile that was usually reserved for Kaidan. He missed her still, she was the first real friend he'd ever had, but time eventually blunts the pain of loss. He had a team to lead now, and he had something with Shana, though he was unsure of its true nature. For now, he was simply happy to just sit back and let it go where it would.

As if on cue, his door slid open and Shana stepped in, followed closely by Dax, his salarian explosives expert. Garrus leaned back and folded his hands neatly on his desk waiting for one of them to begin talking. By the look on Shana's face, it was bad news.

"The Blue Suns are smuggling people off the station and handing them over to the Batarians," Dax threw a datapad on Garrus' desk.

"Slavery? That's not like the Blue Suns," Garrus mused while scrolling through Dax' evidence. Pictures, eye witness testimonies, flight schedules, missing persons reports... His team was nothing if not thorough.

"You seem surprised," Shana said with mild amusement. "The Blue Suns will do anything if the pay is good enough, slavery is nothing to them."

"Alright," Garrus sighed and rubbed his temple gently with one finger. "Tell the team to meet in the debriefing room in three hours, we'll go over our plans then." He watched the two of them turn to leave, and quickly added, "Oh, Dax. Break out the big ones for this, we're going to make an example of them. No one sells innocents into slavery on my station." The salarian nodded, the hint of a grin on his lips.

* * *

The debriefing room was actually just a re-purposed office. It was one of the largest rooms in the complex, and they'd set up their table display with chairs all around. It reminded Garrus of a corporate meeting room. The south-facing wall was covered with picture windows that overlooked the busy district below, and he could hear the pulsing beat of one of the clubs nearby.

A holographic map of the Blue Suns main complex was floating above the table, and Garrus had circled a few key points while he explained the strengths and weaknesses of the building.

"We'll be splitting into three teams. Dax, Grath, and Morgan will be setting up charges and hacking any automated defences they may have." The three men nodded silently at Garrus, and he turned to Shana. "The rest of you will be under Shana's command. You're the main assault team, and I need you keeping these bastards focused on you. Give Grath's team time to rig the place."

"Roger," they replied.

"Wait, you said three teams," Shana eyed Garrus suspiciously.

"Mm, yeah." Garrus tapped the table display, zooming in on the back door. "I'll be slipping in back here and going after their leader. If I can cut the head off of the snake, it may just plunge the organization into chaos long enough for us to remove them from Omega for good."

"Alone?" Grath asked.

"Yes, I'm fully capable of stealth."

"I don't like it," Sidonis was the next to speak up. "You should take someone with you, you don't know what they have in there."

"I agree," was Shana's reply. "Take Sidonis with you, the rest of us can handle the assault, and we'd all feel much better if you had one of us watching your back."

Garrus' eyes surveyed each of his team's faces, and he quickly realized he wasn't going to win the argument. Sighing in defeat, he acquiesced. "Alright, Sidonis will accompany me. Once you have the charges in place, we'll have exactly five minutes to get the hell out of there before it blows. When Dax gives the signal, start retreating." He waited for all of them to express their understanding before heading for the door. "Execute this perfectly, and we'll score a major victory tonight."

Shana and Sidonis shared a brief look, and she turned to follow Garrus.

* * *

"Boss."

Garrus turned to greet Shana, "You rang?"

"I just..." she fiddled with her sniper rifle, unsure of herself. "I- I'm not good at this whole 'good luck!' thing."

"Well, you could start by wishing me good luck," Garrus chuckled as he enveloped her in his arms.

Shana rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "You know that if you die, I'm going to be really fucking mad at you, right?"

"I know." He rubbed his jawline across the side of her fringe and breathed her scent in. "I'll have Sidonis with me, you don't have to worry. This isn't my first mission."

"Promise me you'll stay in radio contact." She pulled back to look him in the eye.

"You'll be sick of my voice by the time this is over." He rested his forehead against hers, and closed his eyes. He was used to running into dangerous situations without much thought for his own life. The only time he could recall worrying about dying was when he was en route to Ilos, and even then it was only for a few hours. He didn't have a whole lot of time to worry about things prior to that, but now he wondered if Annabel had ever been afraid for herself. He knew she constantly worried about her own team, she'd said that much to him, and he understood those fears implicitly now. The thought of losing a team member under his command ate away ate him, and generally drove him to seek out less dangerous alternatives.

They way she would plunge headlong into battle wielding her shotgun and biotics, there was no way she had any thought for herself. His mouth twitched slightly, and he wondered if, had he been in her place on the Normandy, he would have bothered to go back for Joker. To sacrifice oneself for the life of a crewman... It was just like Annabel, and that perked his spirits up.

He knew this plan was good. His role was the most risky, but vital, and with Sidonis as back-up, the chances of failure were greatly lessened. The Blue Suns were going down tonight, he was going to make sure of it. He would make her proud.

* * *

His new armour fit like a glove, but it was quite a bit heavier than he was used to. One the one hand, he felt nearly invincible, but at the same time he wondered how much it would slow him down. He prayed it wouldn't be much, if at all. He rocked back and forth on his feet, testing the spring in his step. "Hmm," he murmured, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"I see you've donned your sweet new threads," Sidonis noted, amusement in his voice.

"Indeed. I feel like I could take on a Reaper single-handedly right now," he chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing, though."

"The plan's solid, we'll be in and out before anyone realizes what's going on. Quick, clean, quiet. It's what we do." Sidonis absentmindedly checked his rifle, while his pale green eyes surveyed the boss' office. Garrus wasn't the type to lay out personal items, he noticed.

"Until Dax blows half the district," Garrus snorted, grabbing his rifle and helmet. "Lock and load, it's time to move out."

* * *

As predicted, the back entrance was woefully undermanned. In fact, Garrus would barely call it manned at all. A lone batarian leaned against the wall having a smoke, completely oblivious to his surroundings. He took a deep breath and lined up his shot, squeezing the trigger as he exhaled. The merc's lifeless body hit the ground with a soft thud, and Garrus was already moving. His armour wasn't impeding his movement nearly as much as he'd thought it might, a victory for him to be sure.

"I'm approaching the door now. Taking point, Sidonis on my flank," he ordered, catching notice of Sidonis moving to him on the right. He pressed himself flat against the wall next to the door, offering a silent prayer to whatever wanted to listen before hitting the console. The door slid open with a whoosh, and the adjoining hallway lay silent and empty.

"All clear," he whispered and moved cautiously into the base, Sidonis close behind him. He switched to his assault rifle with deadly speed as he crept down the hall, methodically sweeping each room on the way. So far, so good. The stairs rose up before them, and Garrus motioned for Sidonis to move to the opposite side of the hall before flattening himself against the wall.

"Status," Shana's voice purred through the comm.

"Minimal activity inside, moving to the second level," was Garrus' reply, and he couldn't help but smile inwardly at the relief evident in her 'Roger.'

He and Sidonis moved as one with purpose through the quiet halls, but they could already hear the telltale sign of mercenaries ahead. The acrid smell of tobacco was thick in the air, and he could catch snippets of uncivilized conversation. Garrus felt Sidonis tense beside him, and he shot him a warning look. Now was not the time for nerves.

He quietly crouched behind a stack of shipping crates and brought out his omnitool. Shana's team was in position, and Dax was already rigging the place with explosives. They had precious little time, and a cafeteria full of Blue Suns to get past before they could reach the bastard in charge.

_"Sometimes the best thing you can do is get the drop on your enemies. If you don't think you can make it past them undetected, throw a grenade and scare the shit out of them. Fleeing combatants make easy targets."_ One of Annabel's tips floated unbidden, but welcome, to the forefront of his mind, and he nodded his head in thanks to her memory. He grabbed a plasma grenade from his belt while giving Sidonis a meaningful look, then hit the button and threw it through the doorway.

"Grenade!" came the too late warning of a mercenary, the blast shook the walls and floor of the building, and alarms started blaring. He could see men and women milling around in confusion. A few were better trained and already arming themselves, but not fast enough. Four rounds, four bodies. Sidonis was picking off the cowards that were fleeing, and Garrus moved forward, crouching from table to table and never staying out in the open very long.

"What the hell was that?" Grath's annoyed voice snapped.

"The boss knows how to make an entrance," Sidonis chuckled.

"Shit, incoming from the west side. Get ready to lay down cover fire for Dax's team. Garrus, you need to get out fast."

"I will."

"You have exactly 7.35 minutes, Commander. May fortune smile upon you." Dax sounded almost gleeful.

Thick smoke filled the room, and the smell of burning flesh tickled the back of his throat. It wasn't a pleasant smell, but he tried not to let it invade his thoughts. He needed to be focused, his target was drawing nearer. Just through these doors...

"Six minutes."

A heavily armoured boot kicked the double doors to the main office open, where a very angry batarian stood waiting with twelve armed guards. Garrus managed to dive off to the side in the nick of time, narrowly avoiding the barrage of weapons fire that came blasting out of the office, and he quickly returned fire from cover, taking out two guards.

"Archangel, I presume," the leader of the Blue Suns snarled. His face was set in a scowl, and his needle-like teeth were clearly visible. Damn, but if batarians weren't ugly bastards.

"I don't have the time to exchange pleasantries with you. All you need to know is it's over. You're finished." Garrus dove out from cover and opened fire, a few more guards fell while the others ducked behind cover. Clever, they were adopting basic tactics now.

He was at a distinct disadvantage now, even with Sidonis joining him. Cover was scarce in the office, the two of them were currently huddled behind a tacky lime green sofa, and the mercenaries had the upper hand. They exchanged fire, but couldn't get a clear shot at any of them. He was becoming increasingly frustrated, when the chatter on his comm started picking up again.

Dax and his team had been extracted safely, and Shana's team was holding position, though they were far outnumbered now.

"Four minutes. Get out of there boss, now," Shana's voice was laced with panic, and he could hear shouting in the background.

Garrus grunted as a round hit his shields, his chances of taking out the remaining guards and the ringleader in four minutes were slim, but doing so with enough time to escape would be impossible. He weighed his options quickly, and nodded to Sidonis to start the retreat.

With Sidonis' cover fire, it gave Garrus the time he needed to get out of the room. His heart was pumping, and a bitter taste was on his tongue. He was so close, and to leave his mission unfinished at this point felt like a failure. He caught one last look at the batarian, his jaw tensing at the knowing smirk on his face.

"Better luck next time, turian." The last was said with mockery.

Garrus and Sidonis moved quickly through the base, vaulting over chairs or tables as needed. They had less than two minutes to get to safety, but luckily had met with very little resistance to the doors. Once clear of the building, they continued their sprint for another 2 blocks before hearing the beautiful music of a Blue Suns base going up in flames. Glorious.

"Base neutralized," Dax sounded almost gleeful over the comm.

"Good work. Sidonis and I are heading tot he rendezvous point. We'll meet up shortly." Garrus strapped his trusty sniper rifle to his back, and motioned for Sidonis to follow him. The operation wasn't a total success, but they had won a definite victory this day. People were starting to pour into the streets to watch the complex burn, some frightened by the chaos, others aroused by it. This was a blow the Blue Suns would not soon forget.


End file.
